Cunningham '62 Le Mans XKE Coupe WIP

Well, after enjoying so many of your WIP threads, I felt obliged to share mine...take it easy on me, as I'm no pro and most of this scratchbuilding malarky is new to me! I'd welcome any criticism though. :)

I'm basing this car on the old 1/8th Revell/Monogram kit which really needs some help, even though the body is pretty accurate. It's not my scale of choice, but somehow this thing is sooooo large that it's just captured my imagination. 'Scuse the dodgy indoor picture quality - I'll find some time to shoot some proper pics later.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/355777damper1.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/355777damper2.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/355777wishbone2-med.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/355777Wishbone1-med.jpg

I meant to add that those mishapen red things are the kit parts! I'm going to resin cast the front suspension parts as I hope to build an XKE Lightweight one day.

Impressive start!

Cheers Rob,

I started the build a while back but I've had very little time to get near it. I thought I'd start with the most difficult parts first so I did the seat which as far as i know are one off's. I had a few reference pics but no measurements so most of it is guesswork. I've also built the fuel tank that occupies most of the interior but I'm not happy with it yet:

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/355777Cunningham_seat_reference.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/355777Cunningham_seat_plod_box.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/355777Cunningham_seat_sanded_plod.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/355777Cunningham_seat_elements.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/355777Cunningham_seat_buck2.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/355777Cunningham_seat_buck1.jpg

The seat was made using ordinary automotive plod/filler. I made a plastic sheet box at max seat squab thickness (5mm) then filled it with plod. I used the top edges of the box as a sanding datum, then marked out the pleats and started carving. The seat bucket is from a sheet and plod mix. These seat are not symetrical as they are cut away at the door sides for access...I'm going to have to cast off this one then tweak the resultant copy - help! :lol2:

Wow! that seat looks great!

I better stay tuned in to this one!

Now there's some skill....

Murray

those fantastic putty work: awesome!
thread tracked! :smile:

1/8th? Awesome. Cummingham Jag? Awesome. Struts and wishbones. Awesome. Seat. Beyond awesome!
What is going on around here lately? The standard has risen for sure! :)

Now this is candy for every modeler. Great looking seat, I will stay tuned.

Thanks for your kind words everyone! :icon16:

Not been able to get near the beast this week, apart from a couple of hours tonight, so I thought I'd try to do the steering wheel spider. I made two attempts, one using K+S .016 alloy sheet (which looked rubbish and was promptly binned) the second using .6mm alloy that was an offcut from my 1/1 Spyder firewall - both were quite a pig to work with! I tried chain-drilling, Dremel cut-off discs, steel surrated discs, the lot, but ended up using the trusty old junior hacksaw and needle files. I have no idea as to who made the original wheel, but Briggs Cunningham prefered an upright centre spoke on most of his racers - I guess so he could read the instuments better. I have a theory that he stole the idea from the Porsche RSK Spyder that he used to race in the 50's, but who knows?

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/355777wheel3wide.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/355777wheel1cu.jpg

Were there two steering wheels in the kit?

Your work is outstanding and you've only just started the build. :bigthumb:

Can we see an overall photo of the car as '62 Le Mans XKE means nothing to me, I'm guessing it's a E Type Jag?

No, I bought a second cheapo kit that had been badly made. I'm using that for reference and to check fittings problems. If all goes to plan I'll use this second kit for a conversion.


Were there two steering wheels in the kit?

Here you go, I think this was taken before practice.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/355777Cunningham_pits.jpg


Your work is outstanding and you've only just started the build. :bigthumb:

Can we see an overall photo of the car as '62 Le Mans XKE means nothing to me, I'm guessing it's a E Type Jag?

Here you go, I think this was taken before practice.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/355777Cunningham_pits.jpg

Way back in December of 2005 you posted a picture of the 1962 Le Mans Cunningham Jaguar with a note that you thought it was taken before practice. Is there any way that you could repost that picture since the link no longer is working.:)

I am making one in 1/18 scale using a Bburago E-Type :banghead: which is why I am interested. Also If you have any picture of the rear of the car it would help me solve a personal issue as to whether the car had a number 10 somewhere on the rear.

Best regards,

Larry

PS Love your Spyder

Way back in December of 2005 you posted a picture of the 1962 Le Mans Cunningham Jaguar with a note that you thought it was taken before practice. Is there any way that you could repost that picture since the link no longer is working.:)

I am making one in 1/18 scale using a Bburago E-Type :banghead: which is why I am interested. Also If you have any picture of the rear of the car it would help me solve a personal issue as to whether the car had a number 10 somewhere on the rear.

Best regards,

Larry

PS Love your Spyder

Yes it had. A big 10, in a roundel at the center taking almost all the space between the back window and the license plate indentation. One can barely see the dual blue stripes between lower window frame and the roundel. The number is slightly canted to the right.
Sorry to be like this but I have this details in memory from a photo at the start of the race but can't seem to find it...
Zé´

Sorry Larry, I missed your original post. I lost a load of stuff recently with a computer crash but I'm sure I still have the pictures saved somewhere. Will try to locate them tonight for you.

What happened to this build? The start is incredible. Did you finish it? (you should have after 2 years! ;))

Doh...now I'm embarrassed!

Put the build on hold until I got a lathe but got one now so really no excuse! Too many biggies on the go at once (doing the '66 Corvette too) but hope to get back into the Jag late summer when hopefully I will have moved and got some room at last.:banghead:

Doh...now I'm embarrassed!

Put the build on hold until I got a lathe but got one now so really no excuse! Too many biggies on the go at once (doing the '66 Corvette too) but hope to get back into the Jag late summer when hopefully I will have moved and got some room at last.:banghead:

OK. I start "bumping" the thread as of July 01 :D ;) j/k

Sorry Larry, I missed your original post. I lost a load of stuff recently with a computer crash but I'm sure I still have the pictures saved somewhere. Will try to locate them tonight for you.

Take you time, trust me this is not a rush project I have been working on it for about two months and would guess I am about 5% complete. :banghead:

Best regards,

Larry

Larry,

With the help of a very kind soul I've retrieved the race pictures but the period shot of the rear of the car still alludes me. I do have some pictures of the restored car that has the 10 on the back but not on a gumball. which I'm sure it ran originally. As a previous poster suggested the gumball left just a small amount of the blue stripes visable.

I can never get people using the messaging service here so if you want the pictures you can get me on this address - no spaces!

John, I sent you an email saying that I would love to have any pictures that you have of this car. So far no bounce back so maybe it worked. If not I am posting it here also.

Best regards,

Larry


[quote=cinqster]Larry,

With the help of a very kind soul I've retrieved the race pictures but the period shot of the rear of the car still alludes me. I do have some pictures of the restored car that has the 10 on the back but not on a gumball. which I'm sure it ran originally. As a previous poster suggested the gumball left just a small amount of the blue stripes visable.

Hi Larry,

You should have 2 emails with useful pics!

Can you do me a favour please and remove my address form your reply above - just to keep my spam down! Ta!

John, both emails were received and the pictures are incrediably helpful :) . I have done as you asked regarding the removal of your email address. I know it is going to take me a couple of days to really study the pictures but my first comment is that the fuel tank is absoutly huge.

Best regards,

Larry

Hi Larry,

You should have 2 emails with useful pics!

Can you do me a favour please and remove my address form your reply above - just to keep my spam down! Ta!

John, both emails were received and the pictures are incrediably helpful :) . I have done as you asked regarding the removal of your email address. I know it is going to take me a couple of days to really study the pictures but my first comment is that the fuel tank is absoutly huge.

Best regards,

Larry

Even in 1/8th it's still huge! :)

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb224/cinqster-photo/Tank.jpg

It was whilst I was working on the tank that I realised there's just too much plastic to cut in this scale!

Let me know if you want some measurements for it. I got the sizes by taking key construction lines from the photo's - can't gaurantee they're correct but to me it looks right from most angles.

John, I would love to have the dimensions for this unit. I am really curious about the bottom leading edge of the tank. Is it flat or is it an angle since it is so close to the back of the seats. If it is at an angle did it actually contain fuel since it would be the lowest point of the tank or was that part of the mounting hardware.

Best regards,

Larry
Even in 1/8th it's still huge! :)

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb224/cinqster-photo/Tank.jpg

It was whilst I was working on the tank that I realised there's just too much plastic to cut in this scale!

Let me know if you want some measurements for it. I got the sizes by taking key construction lines from the photo's - can't gaurantee they're correct but to me it looks right from most angles.

Larry,

From what I could ascertain from the pictures the leading edge of the tank slopes at about the same angle as the seat backs. The Jag floorpan also slopes infront of the rear arches and the tank certainly deepened to take account of that slope. I based the seat angle on the photos and then matched the tank roughly to that. I don't know much more about the tank apart from it was bagged and the membrane was recently replaced. The tank at the rear was the reserve and it was independantly pumped.

BTW, the car is now in the Collier Collection in Naples, Florida.

Will get some dimensions over to you tonight.